Iconic Women: Why we need to pay more attention to Alicia Keys.

Iconic women are usually at the forefront of feminism, so let’s take a second to talk about THE Alicia Keys. If you haven’t already seen, the R&B singer is the current cover girl for ELLE Brazil. This cover not only has 2 but 4 variations available to purchase just in case you can’t decide which angle you want to gawp at her freckles from.

Source: Elle Abril

The covers scream diversity, fusion, natural beauty but also modernism and authenticity; admirable as a word may not suffice. From a fashion perspective, it could be said that her cover looks encourage us to play around with our natural beauty, colour, personal style, hair, whatever we want… The point is very obvious from the “Be Yourself” subtitle. It definitely could initiate a few glow-ups.

Source: Elle Abril

It is so clear that many women today are still very much struggling with their ideas of “fitting in” whether that be with fashion, music taste, ethnicity, culture or political views. We’re a very torn part of the human race.

Now, here comes the persuasion in relation to this iconic woman.

Alicia is a PERSON. She isn’t one of these “stars” forever posting “I love you all” captions under every picture they post, usually a selfie. Keys has always stood out to me to be genuine and unapologetically herself. Every album, every look, every change of image, I am always on board because it’s obvious by the way she conducts herself that she has the utter most substance. From her tweets on world issues to her interaction with fans and rare picture of her kids on social media, she seems to keep it 100.

If you don’t already agree then this is probably where you start to feel like you want to scroll her Instagram to see what all the fuss is about. So, before you do, we’re going to give you 5 reasons as to why we could all pay more attention to the American beauty.

1. Her approach to the barefaced look.

Source: Pinterest

The covers are not the first time we’ve seen Alicia Keys glowing in either non or the bare minimum make up. Many mothers, sisters and aunties will tell us we have to take care of our skin and these images are proof in its finest of forms. The freckles, dewy finish, mascara-less eyes and untouched brows are enough to convince youth, health and self-care. Are they not 3 of the most highly sorted properties most online forums promote for women of 2017? I’ll definitely be drinking my water, doing a facemask and turning airplane mode on tonight for a restful night’s sleep. Other iconic women could probably take notes here.

2. She thinks of the future generation

Source: TwitterSource: Twitter

These tweets posted recently. If only all of us had these mantras fed to us as young children, who knows where more of us would be now? Her privacy with her own children but strong voice on how she wishes children to live their lives could be so encouraging to many, even to those who are yet to become parents. And that is what is SO important. Just because we may not have a child, we still play a part in future generations’ upbringing and that awareness isn’t widespread across the generations enough. Alicia Keys appears with an open mind in these tweets, they can speak to anyone – point number 928 of why she falls under iconic women category.

3. Her music is balanced AF.

As much as we love a soppy song about the one that got away or about the one we got away from, we need balance with music. Music is food for the soul, and how are we to feel balanced and progress in healing from our deepest darkest moments if all we listen to is heartbreak music? Alicia has many a song relatable to us, but also many a song to empower, to anger, confuse, melt, educate….

Put her on shuffle and you have various fragments of her; A Woman’s Worth, Empire State of Mind, Fallin, Cocoa Butter, Superwoman, Piano and I….

4. Her Instagram is REAL.

Source: Instagram

As far as I can see, you won’t come across #ad on this instagram account, just memories, posts of genuine gratitude, promotion of other artists and the occasional quote on life and the journeys it brings. Feeling guilty for all the random selfies you have recently taken yet? You aren’t the only one.

5. Her voice is REAL.

Source: YouTube

James Corden featured her on his series of “Carpool Karaoke” with John Legend and the pair prove they can make anything, and I mean ANYTHING, sound good by singing it, and unaided too. If you have Apple Music you can watch the full version but click here for the preview on YouTube.

Source: Elle Abril

Take what you will from all of the above, but if at least one of you is searching her top tracks on Spotify then may her authenticity and messages of light, love and integration be spread to you. Iconic women should do more than make us want to buy their merchandise, a hell of a lot more.

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